When we travel, it can be thrilling to explore a new place. It's exciting to dig into new cultures, especially through food. Jim Gaffigan, the comedian, has a humorous stand-up bit about going on vacation. He says, "A vacation is just eating at a place you have never been."

And man alive, I do love to go somewhere and get something to eat.

Trying new foods is like going on a first date. It's exciting, interesting and a complete crapshoot. I still remember ordering a giant plate of cherry french toast with a huge pile of whip cream on a trip to Wisconsin in 1988. The the first greasy bite of New York pizza in 2002 is still fresh in my mind. The warm apple croissant devoured outside Poliâne in 2006 makes me dream of Paris. The perfect glazed Duck Donut picked up in The Outer Banks in 2008 calls to be from the West Coast. The lean Texas brisket gobbled down with pickles in 2011 was dang delicious.

And the date shake slurped delightfully in Palm Springs 2017 was a slice of heaven.

It doesn't seem like the desert wouldn't provide sweet temptation. After all, it's hot out there in the desert. Really hot. However, that's when the finest date that a person could ask for swirls into our lives and whirls us off our feet. In my book, the date fruit is an overlooked delight. Growing up, dates were something old people kicked back at the holidays or used as a vehicle for caramelized bacon. However, the desert has brought to attention the date is one of the true delicacies of life.

Let's talk about a couple of fast facts about dates. They only grow in hot dry climates. The date palm plant needs hand pollination as the plants are either male or female. Dates are one of the most healthy foods available. They can contain more potassium than a banana, are a good source of dietary fiber and brim with vitamins such as niacin.

Now back to the real reason we are here, the date shake. Like most things in life, date shakes are simple. There are variations but typically contain Medjool dates, ice cream, and milk. Many places in Palm Springs and the surrounding desert offer up a date shake but after some exhaustive research, on the way out of town, I stopped Hadley Fruit Orchard .

Well, a date shake is seriously creamy, delightful and delicious. The cool flavor lovingly tempts the taste buds with its 100% smooth texture and delightful sweet aromatic flavor. This one is going down in the vacation memory books. It's hands down the best date I've ever had.

It's funny how creating an adventure can be as simple as something we eat. What other vacation memorable foods have you had?

Until tomorrow Foodie Friends.

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